Polish state-owned utility PGE Group has received a permit by the regional director for environmental protection in Gdansk for its Elektrownia Wiatrowa Baltica 2&3 offshore wind projects that have a combined capacity of 2.5GW.
Danish utility Orsted is in advanced talks to buy half of the projects, and in late December had signed a preliminary agreement on the framework for cooperation with PGE in the development of the Baltic Sea projects.
PGE said the environmental OK gives it a green light to start work on a technical project for both wind farms, and now expects first electricity from the projects to flow as early as 2026.
The utility plans to use turbines with a capacity between 10 and 13MW for the projects about 30km north of Ustka and Łeba in the region of Pomerania.
The environmental permit comes shortly after Poland’s government has published a draft of legislation to promote offshore wind power, aiming to award more than 10GW in the Baltic Sea by 2027.
“Through a diversification of energy sources and our investments, among others in offshore wind farms, Poland will be able to successively reduce the share of fossil fuels in the national energy mix,” PGE Group president Henryk Baranowski said.
“This is in line with the expectations of the Polish government. The Baltica 2 and 3 offshore wind farms are key elements of the transition process taking place at PGE Group, and also an important contribution to the energy transition nationwide.”
PGE said it intends to form a joint venture with Orsted for Baltic 2&3 also to build up the necessary competence to be able to implement offshore wind farms alone in the future.
PGE as part of its transition also targets to build 2.5GW of solar capacity by 2030.
